He also provides very interesting passages from London on his own work and the ideological inoculations which have also undermined the value of London's writings.
Ludington, Townsend. "Jack London: Overview." Reference Guide to American Literature. Ed. Jim Kamp. 3rd ed. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994.
Townsend talks about London's background and childhood, as well as his Socialist views, and their influence on his adult life and writings: "London saw himself as an exemplar of the rags-to-riches story, an Anglo-Saxon superman who succeeded because of his superior intelligence and physical prowess, who took pride in his individualism, yet […] he believed that some form of socialism was the cure for the inequities of capitalist society." It is interesting to note here that Townsend argues that London's heroes are "individualists who survive the challenges of nature and society if they are strong enough, or are defeated if they are not," a personal credo which might have developed as a result of personal struggle.
Reesman, Jeanne Campbell. "Never Travel Alone': Naturalism, Jack London, and the White Silence." American Literary Realism 1870-1910. 29.2 (Winter 1997): 33-49
In her 1997 essay, Jack London scholar and professor Reesman explores the naturalistic nature of London's writings in "The White Silence," "The Sea-Wolf," and "The Water Baby." She provides interesting insight into several motifs that are recurrent in London's work.
Johnson, Claudia Durst. Understanding the Call of the Wild: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Greenwood Press, 2000
Professor Emeritus at the University of Alabama, Johnson explores the complex relationships between man and nature, and animals' struggle with their own nature in man's world. In her interdisciplinary study, a rich collection...
The Critical Response to Jack London. Greenwood Press, 1995.
Essays and reviews document the critical response to Jack London's writings from the turn of the century to the present day. The "Introduction" deals with the myths and "highly embellished accounts of his life" (Nuernberg xxiii).
Sources:
London, Jack, Charles N. Watson. "The Law of Life" in the Son of the Wolf: Tales of the Far North. Oxford University Press, 1996. 165-172.
Foot, Michael. "Jack London: A Life." New Statesman (1996). 126.4344 (25 July 1997): p45. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Tennessee Board of Regents. 7 Oct. 2009 .
Labor, Earle. "Chapter 3: Success." Jack London. Earle Labor. Twayne's United States Authors Series 230. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1974. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Tennessee Board of Regents. 7 Oct. 2009 .
Ludington, Townsend. "Jack London: Overview." Reference Guide to American Literature. Ed. Jim Kamp. 3rd ed. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Tennessee Board of Regents. 7 Oct. 2009 .
Johnson, Claudia Durst. Understanding the Call of the Wild: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Greenwood Press, 2000
Nuernberg, Susan M. The Critical Response to Jack London. Greenwood Press, 1995.
Reesman, Jeanne Campbell. "Never Travel Alone': Naturalism, Jack London, and the White Silence." American Literary Realism 1870-1910. 29.2 (Winter 1997): 33-49. Rpt. In Short Story Criticism. Ed. Joseph Palmisano. Vol. 77. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 33-49. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Tennessee Board of Regents. 7 Oct. 2009 .
